Stacey Mintz, 49, still wears her hair long because it keeps her feeling and looking, younger.

The Longand Shortof It

By Melinda McGarty Webb/HealthyLife

It used to be that once women hit a certain age — often the big 5-0 — they cut their hair short. It was a right of passage, of sorts. They were doing what they considered appropriate — even if many secretly bemoaned the loss of their long, beautiful locks.

But those days are gone. The emphasis has shifted to finding a cut and color that best suits an individual‘s face and style, and ushers her effortlessly through her 30s, into middle age and then her senior years.

“I abhor that idea that everyone should have short hair after a certain age. It’s something I just don’t understand,” says Jaysie Walts, owner of Hair Creations in Saratoga Springs. “At any age, you can look great with length. It just needs to fit your features and bone structure.

“What’s really crucial — and I say this with women of any age — is that you assess facial features, bone structure, body type, and then we use the word suitability,” she says. “The reason we use that word is that there are so many characteristics that play a part in suitability — your lifestyle, your career, personality, how you dress, and how you wear your makeup.

“If you look at the big picture, and all the things that factor into finding a great hairstyle that suits you, then age is only a component, just one thing you add into the equation,” Walts says. “You shouldn’t just cut it short because you think it will be age-appropriate. I think you should be age-appropriate, but also still stylish, and still feeling like yourself.”

It’s also important to find a cut that draws attention away from your least flattering facial features and contours, and draws it toward the most youthful and attractive aspects of your face. If you have an issue with a sagging jaw line, for example, opt for “a cut with movement that will soften that area,” Walts says. “You wouldn’t want to cut it bluntly right in the same location as something you’re trying to diminish. It will draw the eye right into the spot. Instead, I always focus on positive features.”

“When we’re young and we don’t have lines in our faces, we can have lines and angles in our hair,” says Katie Cottrell, manager of Jean Paul Salon and Spa in Albany. “As we age, though, those lines and angles should be softer. You should have softer layers around your face. Kindergarteners look great with straight-cut bangs. College students look great with really blunt bangs. As we age, though, we don’t want those harsh lines because they bring out the lines in our faces.

“A lot of people feel like longer hair is for younger women, and once they hit that certain, magic age, they shouldn’t have it anymore. A lot of women want a quicker style that they don’t have to spend the time blow-drying,” says Cottrell. “But the other thing is, a lot of younger women feel like they need to have longer hair to be feminine and confident, whereas when we age, we start to realize we don’t need long hair to be confident in ourselves. We can have short hair and still be feminine and pretty. So I think some of it comes from the fact that as we age, we get the guts to cut it off.”

Sheila Hageman, 41, has had hair of all lengths, but recently went really short. She loves her new look because it helps her live her life out loud, she says.

But the cut is by no means the only factor that determines whether your hair shaves years from your chronological age, or makes you look as if you could pass for one of your mother’s contemporaries. Your hair color plays an equally important role.

“My personal rule of thumb is that if you stay within two shades of your skin tone, it’s going to work. That means using a base color that’s two shades lighter or two shades darker than your skin tone, and then adding either highlights or lowlights,” says Cottrell.

It’s important as well to be unafraid of change. “Sometimes women stick with what they’ve always done. So let’s say there’s a woman who has extremely dark hair and every time she gets her grays done, she continues to get a very dark color,” says Walts. “The conversation I will have with her will be about how skin tone normally changes, too. So it’s important you formulate color to go with the skin tone you have today — not what worked for you 10 or 20 years ago. We fall in love with things along the way, but it’s important to find something new to love, so you look fresh and current, and that it’s suitable to you now.”

Your hair’s texture also changes with the years. “With changing hormones, women’s hair changes, and it does tend to thin a bit as we age. Also, we tend to lose moisture. Just like we need to moisturize our skin, we also need to moisturize our hair and scalp,” says Cottrell. “Also, as we age, we tend to use harsher products. We’re using harsher colors to cover our gray hair, so it’s important to use products that are healthy and put the moisture back in our hair.”

When many women cut their hair short, she says, it’s often a style that requires blow drying and using heat tools, which is not always great for your hair. “That’s why it’s important to replace some of the proteins that are lost, and the fats and lipids normally found in hair that make it seem softer and younger looking — and give it shine,” Cottrell says.

“One thing we suggest is color. Not only will it enhance a person’s complexion and accentuate the positives, but it also softens the cuticle,” adds Walts.

If you want to keep it long, though, it’s important to keep it healthy. “Long hair will only look as healthy as your ends are, so it’s a good idea to come in and get your ends trimmed regularly, and a blow-out once a week. Try not to wash your hair as often at home, and try not to blow dry as often at home,” says Cottrell. “We don’t necessarily have to wash our hair to keep our hair clean. It’s about keeping our scalp clean and healthy with our shampoo. If you have an oily scalp, you might want to shampoo more often, or there are fantastic dry shampoos these days that let women, even with oily scalps, help stretch their shampoos and blow outs a few more days.”

Each situation is different, though. “It’s really about getting a good consultation with your stylist, finding what works for you, and getting products that are appropriate for your hair,” says Cottrell. “A lot of women are not happy with their hair, but they’re not using the appropriate products.”

A contemporary hairstyle is also important, both stylists say. “Just like when you look in your closet, if you haven’t changed your wardrobe in five years, it might be time to go shopping. Well, if you haven’t changed your hairstyle in five years, it might be time to do something bold,” says Cottrell. “In fact, some people change something every season. They start getting highlights in the spring, and getting lowlights in the fall.”

10 Tips for Great Hair Through the Years

HealthyLife asked our experts for their top tips on great hair, from your 30s on up.

1) Embrace color, but be wary of solid-color dyes.

2) Add highlights or lowlights.

3) Opt for a contemporary cut.

4) Buy products designed for the hair you have now, not the hair you had 20 years ago.

5) Try to control thinning hair. Have your hormone levels checked, and use products that will keep hair follicles open.

6) Shy away from cuts with harsh angles or straight lines.

7) Add body and curves — it can soften your appearance.

8 ) If you like gray hair, but not your shade of gray, have your stylist tweak the color.

9) Look for a cut with some volume.

10) Choose a style based on your age and bone structure, but don’t forget lifestyle, career, personality and how much time you have to devote to styling.

Online Exclusive: Hair Health

With age and hormonal fluctuations, our hair can change. A woman who prided herself on her thick, pin-straight hair for decades may find herself with a head of thinning, wiry waves she can barely recognize and doesn’t know how to handle.

That’s why it’s important to tailor your hair-care routine to the hair you have today. So ask your stylist what’s best for your particular hair, and remember …

Just as we need to moisturize our skin, we need to keep our hair and scalp moisturized, too. In addition to naturally occurring moisture loss, as we age, we tend to use harsher products on our hair that strip its moisture.

Look for products that will replace proteins, fats and lipids. It will make your hair seem softer and younger looking, and give it shine.

Opt for vitamin-fortified products that DON’T contain alcohol.

While it’s important to use a good shampoo and conditioner, a finishing product without a lot of oil can give it some hold and shine — without unnecessary weight.

Coloring your hair may do more than enhance your complexion; it also softens the cuticle. Softer hair can both feel and look healthier.

If you hair is thinning, have your doctor check your hormone levels, particularly your thyroid. There may be an easy way to halt your hair loss. In the meantime, use a product designed to keep your cuticle open, so it won’t be closed when the new hair tries to push through.